Usual ignition methods have relied on electrical ignition of the propellant. A typical application is the exploding bridgewire, a thin wire which undergoes resistance heating when subjected to large electrical currents. The hot wire ignites the propellant when in close contact with it. These techniques, which use electrically conducting wires in close proximity to the propellant, are hazardous due to inadvertent currents being caused to flow and prematurely cause ignition of the propellant. These inadvertent currents can be caused from stray electromagnetic energy from various sources that can cause abortion of the particular mission desired. Additional failures may also occur due to rough handling or other mechanical shocks. Therefore, the use of a non-electrical ignition device is needed.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a non-electrical ignition device for igniting a solid propellant.
Another object of this invention is to provide a non-electrical device in which no electrical shielding is required to protect it from electromagnetic radiation.
Still another object of this invention is to use a flueric device which eliminates moving parts and utilizes stored energy to cause the propellant to be ignited.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a device that can withstand shock and rough handling.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a device which has resistance to hostile environments faced by advanced weapons systems with the added advantages of being impervious to defensive jamming, being nuclear hard, and having a long storage life with little or no maintenance required.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in this art.